您现在的位置: > Language Tips > Audio & Video > China Daily Audio News  
 





 
Loose media rules move closer to law
[ 2007-06-27 15:00 ]

The top legislature Sunday advanced legislation that would allow the media to report on public emergencies without the government's authorization in a bid to improve transparency.

The draft emergency response law, tabled at the 28th session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for a second reading, requires governments that take charge of emergencies to provide "unified, accurate and timely information about the events and their developments".

Compared to the first draft, which included fines of as much as 100,000 yuan ($13,100) for media outlets that report on emergencies without authorization or spread fabricated information, the second draft only bans the making up or spreading of false information.

In his report to the standing committee, Wang Maolin, vice-director of the NPC law committee, said the provision on restricting the media sparked heated discussion among lawmakers during the draft's first review last June.

He said some legislators argued that it was improper to restrict media reports, while some local people's congresses also questioned the restriction.

The people's congress in Dalian, Liaoning, said the expression "without authorization" was ambiguous and could let local governments to cover up the truth.

Local congresses in Chongqing Municipality and Hubei and Shandong provinces also argued that transparency is a key part of handling emergencies and that the media's contributions should be affirmed.

After considering the matter, legislators decided to eliminate the mention of fines from the draft. It now stipulates that offenders will be warned, punished or prosecuted. If their offences lead to serious consequences, their business licenses will be revoked as well.

(China Daily 06/25/2007 page 2)

Vocabulary:

table: 提交

cover up:掩盖

prosecute:起诉

Questions:

1. What would the new bill do?

2. What is meant by transparency in handling emergencies?

3. What could happen to media offenders?

Answers:

1. Media outlets would be free to report on emergencies without seeking government permission.

2. It means that the government must be forthcoming and truthful in sharing information about emergencies.

3. They could be warned, punished, or prosecuted, and even have their businesses licenses revoked.

(英语点津 Linda 编辑)

About the broadcaster:

Matt Doran is an award-winning American newspaper journalist and an undergraduate student at Albion College. He is currently a polisher for China Daily Website and is on summer break from Beijing Foreign Studies University, where he will resume his study of Chinese in the fall.

 
 
相关文章 Related Stories
 
一往无前:I walk the line(通讯员稿) 希尔顿“开始懂了”……
The Queen《女王》(精讲之二) “假唱”惹倒彩
         
 
 
 
 
 
         

 

 

 
 

48小时内最热门

     

本频道最新推荐

     
  Staying healthy by washing your hands
  US first lady begins Africa tour in Senegal
  Blair to be named as Mideast envoy
  《天使之城》插曲:Iris(通讯员稿)
  Growing rice and a cholera vaccine at the same time

论坛热贴

     
  试译 SLOW DANCE
  "忽悠"怎么翻译比较合适?
  “待定”怎么说?
  common-law wife?
  翻译几个中国特色强的词
  请教 ‘海选’如何翻译